


Make or Break

by Dana



Series: Life on Mars Drabbles [52]
Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: Community: lifein1973, Drabble, Drabble Set, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-03-05 15:06:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3124640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dana/pseuds/Dana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between the missing ambulance, and the lack of backup, it's looking pretty grim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make or Break

**Author's Note:**

> [LifeIn1973](http://lifein1973.dreamwidth.org/) Friday drabble challenge #306 – _Colours_.
> 
> Prompt used = all seven (crimson, bronze, ecru, orange, grey, lilac, turquoise)
> 
> A set of seven drabbles.

**Bloody Messes**

Sam's telling him to 'stop making such a bloody fuss, Guv,', but Gene's got blood all over him, Sam's blood, crimson, precious, flowing away, and Sam himself a groaning, crumpled weight against his front. Gene's trying his best to keep them both upright.

Because, Gene could shout himself hoarse on the radio, but he knows that won't make the ambulance get here any sooner. If it'll ever even get to them, that is. The shooters haven't backed down yet, the both of them are still trapped, and between the missing ambulance, and the lack of backup, it's looking pretty grim.

—————

**The Right Light**

'Don't... don't worry so much, Guv...'

'Shit, Sam, shut up – need to concentrate here. You're bleeding, and we're trapped, if you hadn't already noticed.'

'How... could I forget?'

Gene opens his mouth to answer him – he has better things to do right now than humour his DI, not while he needs to do something about the blood, something more than he's already done. Sam smiles, how did that blood get on his cheek? The light sharpens him, his eyes nearly bronze. Could just be Gene's mind playing tricks on him.

'Sam – '

'Hey.' Still smiling. 'Don't worry. I'll be fine.'

—————

**Necessary Thoughts**

Sam groans, slumps forward, and Gene doesn't even have to check, somehow he knows Sam's eyes are closed now. He's certainly not doing any talking now, and is that a good thing or not?

Sam's never just _fine_. Like when he wanted to get the new curtains for Gene's kitchen – what colour had they been? Chartreuse? Ecru? No, the bloody things had just been blue, though it was still too much blue for one room.

Sam's not reacting now, he's pretty much not doing anything, and one way or another, Gene knows it – whatever _it_ is – won't be long now.

—————

**Passage**

Back up arrives. The bastard scum who'd cornered them aren't able to finish gunning them down. Then the ambulance is carrying Sam away, and maybe he won't end up dying. Annie's concerned, telling Gene he should get checked over, but all he can think about is drinking himself numb.

Oh, and doing something about Sam's blood.

Somehow, he makes it home, does what he needs – _drinks his bloody fill_ – blacks out.

Gene gets the call in the orange light of dawn. Sam's made it through the night.

That's only just one battle that's been won, hardly the entire war.

—————

**Smiles and Silence**

He's grey like a faded memory, a worn-out photograph of himself, pale and listless and stuck in hospital – maybe some of his silences can be accredited to the drugs and the painkillers... all that fuss over one little bullet wound.

Too bloody excessive. 

Sam smiles at his visitors, quietly appreciates their presence – even Ray's, what a surprise.

Sam smiles as Gene berates him for being in hospital, for wasting time, saying nothing in return. Gene's trying to give Sam a hard time, but his heart just isn't in it.

If Sam's silence says anything, it's that he knows.

—————

**Colours, Flowers**

'You really need to get some colour in here, Sammy-boy – too much sodding white, like a bloody...'

'Guv?'

'You're clever, fill in the bloody blank.'

'Gene, I...'

'Maybe some flowers, girls like flowers.'

'Lilacs make me sneeze. Guv, come on – '

'That so? Some daisies then, that seems more fitting.'

'Gene, if you'd let me get a word in – '

'Definitely not roses, no bloody way, I'd never live it down.'

'Gene, really, you can... relax, okay? I'm being discharged tomorrow, and I told you...'

'Sam...'

'I'm alright now, okay? I... I told you I'd be fine.'

—————

**Happy Endings**

Sam looks, well, _good_ , much closer to his normal, obnoxious self – funny what getting a little colour back in his cheeks has done for him as a whole. He's back in his normal kit as well, so that's helping too, no more hospital gowns for him, not Sam Tyler. Pink, purple and turquoise stripes decorate the shirt that peeks out from beneath the cover of his jacket, and while Gene could say something about Sam's less than manly attire, well, even he can appreciate pink now and again.

'Where to, Gladys?'

Sam smiles, bright beneath the sun. 'Let's go home.'


End file.
